1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Split Second. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
This play takes places on the fourth of July in Manhattan. It was probably around 1970’s. Val is a black police officer and Wilis is a white criminal that meet at 11pm at night.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? Be careful when citing the intrustion, it may not be where you initially think it is.
The Intrusion of the play is when Val is talking to Charlie and he confesses that he did have Willis cuffed before he shot him. At this point, the audience realizes that the story isn’t matching up anymore and the truth keeps coming out.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The unique factor is this is the day that Val shoots someone for the first time despite being in the Viet-Nam War and being an officer for years. He isn’t sure how to cope with it because it was a mistake.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will Val tell the truth or lie about the events that took place? Will he go to jail?
5. Use Val to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is, dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what Val wants (NOTE: In Split Second the wants of Val are in flux and he is being swayed by his father, his wife, his friend, and his colleague at work. His wants seem to change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that the character encounters.
Val vs. Val: Val is not sure what to tell the police department a couple days after the killing. He wants to stay truthful to himself and his team however he knows he would have harsh consequences. He is torn between the story that Willis charged at him with a knife or the truth. Val vs. Rusty: Rusty is an old-fashioned police officer that wants Val to tell the truth because it is the just that, the truth. He doesn’t want his son to keep making mistakes and wants him to take responsibility of the situation. But Val knows that he will be in jail for years because of this mistake. He does not want to embarrass his father. Val vs. Law: Val’s biggest fight with the law. Because he is a black officer, his punishment for intentionally killing Willis will be very harsh. The Law is what is keeping him from telling the truth. Val vs. Fate: Throughout the play, there are two sides to the story. Charlie and Alea urge Val to just stick with his original story because that guy was a criminal that had it coming. The police department and Rusty are urging him to tell the truth. Fate is testing him by having both sides fight againist each other and trying to convince Val. At the end, it was fate that decided Val would stick with his story.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Split Second.
The most theatrical scene in the play was when Val testifies his story to the department. He stutters and gets nervous once the lies begin. It is the most intense scene of the play because this is what the audience knows what Val has chosen to do with his future.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Split Second. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”) One example of an image in the play was the knife. The knife symbolized the danger that was brought by Willis. He did not end up trying to threaten Val, so it wasn't the danger. But Val added the danger effect by saying Willis took out his knife. The second image of the play was the Stallion. Rusty's horse was like the traditional views of Rusty's past. He kept feeding into it and focusing on the horse the entire play. The third example of imagery was the trigger. The trigger was pulled onWillis on the fourth of July and it symbolized the release of the racial tension in the play. Val and Willis talked about race during their short conversation and I think Val was trying to prove a point when he shot Willis.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Split Second. racism, traditional views, police violence, war, marriage, good and evil, truth
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Split Second?
Family in this play comes in the relationship between Rusty and Val. Rusty is an old school cop that tried his best he could for his family. So, Val grew up in a strict household in a racist era. They are not that close anymore and you can tell because in the end, Rusty says, “I would like to talk to you again soon.” They don’t talk often and there is no certainty that they will. Alea is also Val’s family because they are married and they depend on each other. She wants to support him and help him get through this situation.
This play takes places on the fourth of July in Manhattan. It was probably around 1970’s. Val is a black police officer and Wilis is a white criminal that meet at 11pm at night.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? Be careful when citing the intrustion, it may not be where you initially think it is.
The Intrusion of the play is when Val is talking to Charlie and he confesses that he did have Willis cuffed before he shot him. At this point, the audience realizes that the story isn’t matching up anymore and the truth keeps coming out.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The unique factor is this is the day that Val shoots someone for the first time despite being in the Viet-Nam War and being an officer for years. He isn’t sure how to cope with it because it was a mistake.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will Val tell the truth or lie about the events that took place? Will he go to jail?
5. Use Val to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is, dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what Val wants (NOTE: In Split Second the wants of Val are in flux and he is being swayed by his father, his wife, his friend, and his colleague at work. His wants seem to change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that the character encounters.
Val vs. Val: Val is not sure what to tell the police department a couple days after the killing. He wants to stay truthful to himself and his team however he knows he would have harsh consequences. He is torn between the story that Willis charged at him with a knife or the truth.
Val vs. Rusty: Rusty is an old-fashioned police officer that wants Val to tell the truth because it is the just that, the truth. He doesn’t want his son to keep making mistakes and wants him to take responsibility of the situation. But Val knows that he will be in jail for years because of this mistake. He does not want to embarrass his father.
Val vs. Law: Val’s biggest fight with the law. Because he is a black officer, his punishment for intentionally killing Willis will be very harsh. The Law is what is keeping him from telling the truth.
Val vs. Fate: Throughout the play, there are two sides to the story. Charlie and Alea urge Val to just stick with his original story because that guy was a criminal that had it coming. The police department and Rusty are urging him to tell the truth. Fate is testing him by having both sides fight againist each other and trying to convince Val. At the end, it was fate that decided Val would stick with his story.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Split Second.
The most theatrical scene in the play was when Val testifies his story to the department. He stutters and gets nervous once the lies begin. It is the most intense scene of the play because this is what the audience knows what Val has chosen to do with his future.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Split Second. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
One example of an image in the play was the knife. The knife symbolized the danger that was brought by Willis. He did not end up trying to threaten Val, so it wasn't the danger. But Val added the danger effect by saying Willis took out his knife. The second image of the play was the Stallion. Rusty's horse was like the traditional views of Rusty's past. He kept feeding into it and focusing on the horse the entire play. The third example of imagery was the trigger. The trigger was pulled on Willis on the fourth of July and it symbolized the release of the racial tension in the play. Val and Willis talked about race during their short conversation and I think Val was trying to prove a point when he shot Willis.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Split Second.
racism, traditional views, police violence, war, marriage, good and evil, truth
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Split Second?
Family in this play comes in the relationship between Rusty and Val. Rusty is an old school cop that tried his best he could for his family. So, Val grew up in a strict household in a racist era. They are not that close anymore and you can tell because in the end, Rusty says, “I would like to talk to you again soon.” They don’t talk often and there is no certainty that they will. Alea is also Val’s family because they are married and they depend on each other. She wants to support him and help him get through this situation.